“From those motocross days to this very day, I’ve always held that listening is the key. When you listen to consum- ers, the standard of quality means something,” Napieraj said. “We’re able to keep creating innovative and unique products because we take the requests of our customers seriously. This year, we launched the Sportz Link, which expands the living space of a Napier Truck Tent and the Sportz Cove awning. This was all put together through consumer input.” “Social media has definitely changed the way we listen to our customers,” Napieraj said. #NapierNation and Facebook.com/Napieroutdoors have the undivided attention of Napieraj’s Marketing Manager, Mary Jackson. “These mediums give us feedback in a way that can’t be beat,” she explained. “The Napier Nation is always sharing photos and stories – essentially reviewing the products as a community – and it’s our job to encourage individuals to continue to share. That’s why it’s important to comment, like, and reply. Whether a customer is having problems or they absolutely love the product, we want to hear from them. You’ve got to show that you’re listening. We’re proud of Napier Nation and what it’s become and we have great plans for the online community in 2017.” “Napieroutdoors.com is going through a redesign,” Jackson continued. “The current design is from 2012 and online shoppers are looking for something more interac- tive. The Search option will be much more vehicle-spe- cific. We’re also including what we’re tentatively calling a Camping 101 page with, among other things, an essential checklist for truck tent campers. We definitely want to be a one-stop shop for your outdoor adventure needs. Napier Nation will also be featured on the main site. There will be a showcase and feature page where customer’s vehicle displays are profiled. We take pride in our customers and their stories and this, we feel, is the perfect way to show them how much we value their loyalty.”
outdoors so generations can enjoy. We support environ- mental causes such as Leave No Trace and Trees for the Future. Through our partnership with Trees for the Future, Napier plants a tree for every Backroadz product sold,” Napieraj proudly explained. “We support every initiative that our partners in the community spearhead.” “People kept commenting on the setup and giving really positive feedback and then one night, it started to rain buckets. Every camper who could grabbed their tent and put it on their truck bed. I knew right there that I had something – a game changer.” “It seems like we’re always doing local community events, like the YWCA Niagara Region’s No Fixed Address event to fight hidden homelessness. We work with these non-prof- its throughout Canada and the U.S. because they have an impact within communities and beyond,” Jackson added. Jackson explained that there isn’t a member of the Napier Outdoors family that isn’t an outdoors enthusiast. “Trees for the Future and causes like that are close to heart here. All ten of us love camping, well some of us glamping. When customers have very specific concerns, there is always someone here at the St. Catharines headquar- ters that has at least one weekend experience with the product in question. We believe personal experience to be one of our strongest assets.” Napieraj agreed. “There’s no doubt that we have several competitive advantages. The first and most significant is our experience because it informs decisions. Our patented floors are a great example of this. Our competi- tors aren’t there yet and based on consumer reviews, that floor makes all the difference. No more sleeping directly on the truck bed. Customers also love the detachable, standalone SUV tent. It’s versatile and, more importantly,
Social media platforms have also allowed Napieraj and his team to share with Napier Nation some of their values.
“Napier strongly believes in helping to conserve the great
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NOVEMBER 2016 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS
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